The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-05-12


became seddened, and he answered slowly
and impressively:
"Our death warrant, sure enough, This
far northern fort is at least healthy, and
to be transferred TO the extreme south
leaves nothing of hope
Especially at this season. can't i'm
acme what the powers that be were think.
ing about when they promulgated such an.
order"
Evidently not of the precious health of
Licutenants Pettrie and Johnson" was
the dry response.
Life has rot been the most pleasant
here, cut off from homo and civilization
by cold and snow for nearly six months in
the year, and Indians are not the most
peaceablc of neighbors, ~ continued the of
ficer, musingly ..'
''Get l would sooner fight all the tribes
combined than the enemy we viii have to
meet, who, single handed, can discount
them when it comes to wholesale slaughter,
and never gives one Il chance to strike
back. :" .--
''You mean the yellow feyer?''
"Yes.''
''The very thing was thinking of and
going from northern to Az Nthern lati-
tudc just as summer IS fimS-nS open its
furnace gates TO invite its approach. y 49,
= True, but we have nothing to do but
obey-hum-thc first duty of soldier, as
we have been forcibly taught
''And there is some comfort in the fact
that we are to go together
And haven't any wife or children to
mourn for u.s."
Better so; in fact, soldier has TO
right to marry. No, nor wife nor children:
but yet we will he remembered for both
of us, like the soldier of the Legion who
mourned for fair Bingcn on the Rhine,
have held little hand tenderly and CON
fidingly and dreamed brighter dreams of
that what might be-
eyes, bitterly; "and as all the sweet
mingled with the bitter Of tic cup is our
transportation, we must be more to each
other than ever befOre-must swear fealty
to the end of our earthly career"
"Hand and glove am with you; and
should one die before the other, the sur
vivor must execute any last wishes or
commissions, or have a blighting curse
follow him all the remainder Of his days -
The oath, taken upon their swords, was
a solemn one. Both realized its meaning
to the full and shrddercd as they thought
how very near the time might be when
bC upon W luiitl us
sacred obligations. With sad and heavy
hearts they babe farewell to their com
panions and turned their faces southwark,
following the drum tap of duty and nerv-
ing themselves to meet bravely whatever
should come.
For time the depressing premonitions
were banishcd from their minds in new
scenes and new associations. Everything
of THAR niin0S ho1 Jo of
of freshness and novelty to them. Never
before had they known anything of Span
ish life 1t was great change to pass,
and SO quickly, from the giant forest. the
huge rock builded mountains. the wide
prairies, to the quantity constructed town,
the coquina walls, the perfume Of the
orange and jasmine, the shade Of tho pal
metto and pride Of India trees, from icy
winds to tropical softnesS, from the almost
responsiveness Of Indian women TO the
witching, dreamy loneliness of the dark,
almond eyed daughters of the lands OF
flowers; to turn from the stcriIity of ma
turc and watch the ocean amorously kiss
ing the sands and purr1ng contentedly and
slumberously.
Their duties were light and before the
sensuousn4ss OF sky and blossom had tin1c
to pail upon them now sensation came,
terrible in its contemplation and deadly
in its contamination. From strolling
upon the wharf and along the sea wall,
from flirting with the graceful and Will
ing to be flattered beauties, they ramblcd
TO feast their eyes upon the wilderness
bloom of the Cherokee rose, the vcrdurc
of magnolia and myrtle, the flaming bells
of tie trumpet flower, the unalloyed gold
of the jasmine, the creamy white of the
orange, and drink il the Intoxicating per
fumc of all; to taste CT the freshly
plucBed scuppernong end dream waking
dreams Of fair face that rarely deserted
them by day Or night.
AS If with tho irony of fate the hideous
serpents Of doom crcpt into this glorious
Eden when their hearts were the most
sensitive to love and their iongings for it's
fulfillment the most powerful. BY their
side as they lay couched upon, pillowed
and canoDicd by flowers q physician
paused and told the most ill omened of
news.
1.-THE yellow fever has come and is I'M
commonly virUlcnt. All who can are pre-
pairing to make q hasty fitting, l would
to heaven / could be Of the number, but
duty chains me here"
GAS it docs us, answered Pcttrfc, and
he looked ut his friend and both thought
of their oath.
Days of the most terrible anxiety fol-
lowed. The foe was one against which
no picket guard could be stationed,
against which sword and bayonet, in
fantry and artillery were alike impotent
in the sun of monday and the blackness
of midnight it walked unseen, unwarning
and resisiless. It's breath was noisomc
and its kiss death. Against it proud
uniform and brilliant buttons were of no
more avail than the rags OF tie poorest.
1t cared nothing for honors or for name.
and its poison festercd the same within
the veins OF the courtcd and the despised.
The cry Of Ito the north, to the mount
nins, " rang warningly and trumpet loud
In the ears of the two young lieutenants.
but they were powerless TO obey. The
rules that had sent them there bound as
with shacklias of steel, and the loathSome
death was swifter than any ftlrlOugh and
laughed at the slow unloosening Of red
tape. -
The fever grew worse and worse until
even the commonest tenets of the religion
of humanity found few followers. Men
and women Stunned the homes where the
black Fomit ragged, and enough OF the liv-
ing could scarcely be found who could he
tempted by gold To bury the dead. 81
IentIy the two friends met, performed
their duties and watched over each other,
watched for the first sign of doom, fo1
the foul miasma stealing among and over
coming the fragrance of the roses.
TO Pettrie the fever came first and VIC.
lentiy There was no mistaking the fast
o1,it,sr Of thn fnn,rc f,f tha ypllnTV fpVCY
pent upon his heart, no possibility of his
escape from a swift and horrid doom. II
| needed no physician to tell him this. He
had seen enough to know that his days,
| even hours, were very few, that whatever
| be would do must be done quietly.
s'Old friend, tried and true companion, y
! he said to his brother lieutenant, 'tbe
curse we so sadly anticipated has come
and upon you will fall the fulfillment Of
our oath 1t is too late for me to write
to say more than q few words, but should
You live (which Ipray to heaven may bt
the case) tell ber--you know who-that
my last thoughts were Of her, my last
prayers for her, my last blessing On hel
dear name Ono thing more before the
burning hell within my breast, the horrible
anguish within my brain, rol,s me of con
seriousness. In my trunk is a package Of
letters. Bring them to me. Thanks
Now for your oath. When ] am gone
promise, swear, that You will burn then
so that not even the tracery of "a word cal
be found in the ashes.n
II swear it ny all my hopes of life, by
all my hopes of mercy in the hereafter,
was answered, with eyes and hand up
raised to heayen